Advisory Board

To ensure the accuracy of the Greenhouse Indicator, The Climate Group engaged the following advisory group to assist with its development.

Chris Mitchell

Leader Climate, Weather and Ocean Prediction Theme at the CSIRO

Chris Mitchell has a 20-year management and advocacy involvement in Australian and international climate research. He returned to CSIRO in February 2006 as Business Development Manager for CSIRO Atmospheric Research after roles since 1991 as Coordinator of the CSIRO Climate Change Research Program and CSIROs Climate Variability and Impacts Program. These programs are the two largest and most complex multi-divisional programs within CSIRO. He was Chief Executive Officer at the CRC for Greenhouse Accounting between 2002 and 2004. He has advised government and business leaders of new developments in the science of climate change, been a member of an international consultative group of experts established under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and more recently provided expertise on carbon accounting to Standards Australia. Chris has extensive experience in issues management, with more than ten years of explaining climate change in mass media. He wrote the Federal Governments key greenhouse science information booklet and edited major consultancy reports for State Governments.

Alan Pears

Adjunct Professor RMIT University and Director, Sustainable Solutions

Alan Pears is an engineer and educator who has worked on energy and environmental issues for more than 25 years. He is a Director of the environmental consultancy Sustainable Solutions and an Adjunct Professor at RMIT University. In 2003 he was awarded a Centenary Medal for his contribution to climate change policy, and in 2000 a Sustainable Energy Industry Association award for his lifetime contribution to the sustainable energy industry. Alan has helped develop energy and environmental policies and programs with governments, including the Australian Building Greenhouse Rating Scheme and appliance energy labeling. He has helped to design green appliances with RMIT University's Centre for Design and has been involved in a number of green building projects including the RAPI award winning Moreland Civic Centre and the CityWest Water Sustainability Award-winning George Street Apartments. Alan worked with his business partner Bro Sheffield-Brotherton as environmental consultants on the 60L Green Building project.

Rob Gell

Weather presenter for 25 years and environmental consultant

Rob Gell is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and an Inaugural Fellow of the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand. He is a coastal geomorphologist by training; he taught Environmental Science and Physical Geography at tertiary level, then for twenty-five years he presented television weather. In his professional life he works as an environmental and communications consultant and is Chairman of Access Environmental Pty Ltd. He is a published author and a photographer. Locally he is the President of Greening Australia Victoria, Chairman of the Mornington Peninsula and Westernport Biosphere Reserve Foundation Ltd. and a member of the Victorian Coastal Council. Rob Gell is an outstanding communicator who has earned the respect of government, business, environmental groups for his approach to sustainable development.

Ian Porter

Executive Director Sustainability Strategies DSE

Ian Porter is Executive Director, Sustainability Policy, in the Department of Sustainability and Environment in Victoria a state which has significantly strengthened its sustainability agenda in recent years. Ian is responsible for the development and co-ordination of the Government's strategies in three weighty areas: sustainability, waste and greenhouse. With climate change increasingly under the spotlight, an important focus of his role has been the further development of the Victorian Greenhouse Strategy and promoting the State Government's position on emissions trading. Ian has a chemistry background and has been involved in energy and natural resources policy since the late 1980s, specialising in energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Julia Birch

Julia Birch developed the methodology for The The °Climate Group's Greenhouse Indicator. Julia's experience includes: analysis and development of sustainable energy government policy; sustainable energy project management; proposal development for government funding programs; sustainable energy industry analysis; and corporate sustainability, including community involvement. Julia has a Graduate Diploma in Arts (Sustainable Development Studies) and a Bachelor of Engineering (Aerospace) with honours.